Machine



4 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

1E. LAMBERT; TYPE WRITING- MACHINE.

No. 306,761. PatentdOct. 21,1884.

Witnesses N. PETEns mtoumn m her. Wnhiuglon. D. C,

I (No Model.) 4 Sheets Sheet' F. LAMBERT.

TYPE WRITINQMAGHINB. No. 306,761. Patented Oct. 21 1884.

W itn esses N. PETERS. Phobimlcgnpher. Washington. 0 C,

(N0 Modei.) 4 Sheets-Sheet a. P. LAMBERT.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 306,761. Patented Oct. 21, 1884.

Witsses: l v I I I v nventor.

N.-l'-ETERS. mmimv w msnm at c,

(No Model.) v 4 Sheets--Sheet 4.

F.LAMBERT.I

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 306,761. Patented 001;. 21, 1884.

' *-&"

UNTTE STATES ATENT uries.

FRANK LAMBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN- THOMSON, OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 306,761, dated October 21, 1884.

Application filed August 17,1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FRANK LAMBERT,0f the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Type XVriting and Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to type writing and printing machines, and has for its object the production of an instrument that shall be more simple in its parts, easier to master and to operate, more rapid and perfect in execuiion, wider in range and adaptability, and much cheaper to manufacture than the ma chines of this class made heretofore.

This invention consists,primarily,in the following elements, arranged in proper mechanical order for operation as a whole:

First. In a discal tablet, to behercin termed a multiple key, mounted upon an arm by means of a ball and socket, and arranged in such manner as to prevent rotation in the plane of the tablet. Upon theouter portion of the multiple-key, and preferablyat equal distances apart, are disposed the characters to be reproduced.

Second. In .a downwardly-projecting arm attached to the under portion of a multiple key, and upon which is mounted a ring or a series of rings having formed upon them the printing-characters, each of which lies in the same meridian as the corresponding character upon the key.

Third. 111 an improved inking pad or ribbon, which is caused to bear upon said characters.

Fourth. in improved means beneath the printing-characters for holding the sheet to be printed, and for properly actuating the same to give to each letterits proper relative space.

Fifth. In a pivoted arm, upon the outer eX tremity of which is the ball, upon said ball being mounted the key, printing-ring, &c., the normal position of said arm and its appurtenances being maintained by a spring or counter-weight.

The principle of action of the key and printingring is that of a hemisphere suspend ed at the point corresponding to the center of the sphere, free to be rotated in any plane but that of rotation upon its verticalaxis. It will therefore be apprehended that the depression of the multiple key at any meridian marked by a character will first swing a corresponding character on the printing-ring exactly to any pointof common stop, and that, second, 55. the continued movement of the key will cause the arm to vibrate upon its bearing against the tension of the spring or counter-weight, thus forcing the character 011 the printingring downward upon the paper, reproducing the same.

The special features in the instruments of this class to which my improvements refer and the order in which the description to fo1- low will be given may be collated as follows: First, the adaptation of a single part (a mul-' tiple key) for the key-board system; second, means for readily changing the style of charactors to be printed, as from letters to figures; third, the construction of the printing-ring, 7o adapting it to the movementof the multiple key; fourth, the spacing of the printed characters properly with respect to their width, gen erally termed variable spacing, fifth, the general design of the parts of the instrument 7 5 and conveyance of the sheet in such manner that the characters as produced upon the said sheet may be seen by the operator during the progress of the 'work; sixth, the means for inking, whereby the characters impinge d1- rectly against the paper; seventh, convenience of access to the parts for inserting the sheet to be printed and for resetting the impression-cylinder.

Ofthe drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same as viewed from the line of sight A of Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a detached edge view of the multiple key, with ball-and-socket joint in section; and Fig. at is the same, showing two ex- 0 tremes of movement, and also the adaptation for a single printing-rhw. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged inverse plan views of printing-ring, and Fig. 7 is across-section of same. Fi 8 is a detached view of device for obtaining variablc spacing of printed characters. Fig. 9

is a detached front elevation of paper-cylinder and carriage, and Fig. 10 is a plan and crosssection view of inking device.

In the figures, l is the bedplate; 2, the standard, upon which the vibrating arm 3 is mounted by the pivot-screws 4:; and 5 is the terrogation, Fig. 2,

diseal tablet, the vlatter constituting the multiple key. The main arm 3 cndsin two branches, the multiple key being mounted at 6 and secured against axial rotation in the plane of its surface at 7, as will be hereinafter described. The ball 8 and slidepin 9 (see Figs. 3 and 4) are a part of the vibrating arm. In the center of the multiple key is formed a socket corresponding to the convexity of the ball, and having a circular flange, 10, projecting from its outer surface. The center or crown of the socket is bored out, as at 11., thereby leaving a circumferential bearing, 12, upon the ball. The rider 13 rests upon the plane surface 10, and is held and guided central to the ball by the slidcpin 9 passing through the bearing formed in the rider. The bore through the crown of the socket 11 is sufticicntly large to permit the free action of the pin 9 in any or all directions. The rider is counterbored, as at 15, and in the cavity is placed a spring, 16, the whole being secured in relative position by the nut 17 upon the extremity of the slide'pin. The thrust of the spring, being exerted between the nut and the rider, tends to force the rider downward, and causes the multiple key to always resumethe normal position shown in Fig. 3; but upon the depression of any of the edges of the key the rider will simply be forced upward upon the slidepin, as shown at Fig. 4, and will again act when relieved to instantly reset the key to its normal position. It is clear that to make practical use of this universal movement, the action of the multiple key or diseal tablet must be restricted to certain like meridians of movement, as 18 19, Fig. 4-. To this end I prevent the tablet from rotary movement on its vertical axis by the pin 21, Figs. 1 to 4, secured to the periphery of the diseal tablet at a right angle to the said vertical axis.

The operation is as follows: In the branch of the arm at T is formed a slot, 20, within which projects the freely-fitted pin 21. This pin is secured to the multiple key exactly at single movement or a combination of two movements, as this: Depress the front or back of the tablet, as at theletter M, or sign of inand the pin will rise or fall within the slot. Depress at letters D or 'V, and the pin will simply turn within the slot; but depress the tablet at any of the points intermediate to those named say at the letters II S Zand the pin will partake of both motions, rising or falling and also rotating upon its horizontal axis. From this construction it will be seen that each and every key, however frequently or rapidly the tablet may be depressed, can only travel in a single plane or meridian of movement.

Projecting downward from the diseal tablet is an arm, 22. Through a bearing formed in said arm passes ashaft, 23, projecting outward slightly beyond the face of the multiple key, and provided at this extremity with a button or milled head, Upon the shaft a collar, 25, between which and the upper face of the bearing in the arm is a spring, 26, the tension of which tends to thrust the shaft upward. Upon the lower extremity of the shaft is secured in its central axis a light shell, shaped like the frustum of a cone or pyramid, 27, having inserted in each of the quadrants of its side a ring upon which are formed the characters to be reproduced, each of said quadrants bearing diit'ercnt characters-upon the first one, say, figures and mathematical signs, as 28. Upon the second and third are upper and lower case types, and upon the fourth large capitals Orspecial types. In the upper edge of the cone, at equal distances, are four slots, 29, and at the front and underside of the diseal tablet astop-pin, 30. The func tion of this pin is to prevent the shell from rotating on its center, the slots being caused to engage with the stop-pin by the action of the spring. The form of the shell and its relative mounting with respect to the printing rings and the diseal tablet are such that by depressing the milled head .21, which will compress the spring and disengage the shell from the stop-pin, and imparting to the shaft a quarter of a' revolution, any one of the printing-rings will be brought successively exactly central to the vertical axis A. of the multiple key.

The printing-ring, (see Figs. 5, 6, and 7, whatever its distance from the center of the ball 8, is formed as it cut from the crown of a sphere whose center is that of the ball and socket. Upon the outer spherical surface of such an annulus, 31, are formed the printing characters, each of which lies in the same meridian as the correspoiuling character on the key. On the inner surface of this annulus, exactly opposite from and terminating at the center of each character, is formed a series of grooves, 32, all of which converge to the lower pole of the sphere or center of the annulus 33, and are wider at theirinner than at their outer extremities. Between the faces of certain of the printirig-characters and the bottom of the converging grooves the thickness of the separating material varies, the grooves being formed of different depths, as St 35, or in proportion with the width of the characters to be printed.

livoted on the arm 3 at 36 is the variable spacing-lever 37, and in a bearing,also formed in the main arm,isa plunger, 38, whose longitudinal axis is exactly in the vertical axis of the sphere. This plunger, Fig. 8, is formed with a shoulder on its upper end, which is caused to impinge against its bearing by the spring 39, acting through the lever. At the longer end of said lever is a stud, 40, that projects between the spur 41 of the main arm and the carriage-actuating lever 45, the latter bcing pivoted at 43 in the standard 2, and having at its upper end several notches, preferably three, (57, 6S, and G9, with either one ct ICO IIS

, ink from the face of thcpad.

which the stud 40 'may be made to engage, as explained further on.

Mounted upon a pair of tracks, 44 44, is a carriage, 45, upon which is the impressioncylinder 46 and the tension or clamping bail 47, for causing the sheet 48 to adhere to the surface of the cylinder. On the carriage, Fig. 9, is a rack, 49, extending longitudinally. Mounted upon a vertical shaft on the bed-plate is a ratchet-wheel, 50, and a pinion, 5 1, the latter engaging the rack. Engaging-the ratchet-wheel is a pawl, 52, connected by means of a slide-rod, 58, and link 54 to the actuatinglever 45, the whole being held to normal position by the spring55 within the main stand ard. The multiple key, main arm, shell, printing-rings, &c., are held in proper rela tive position by the main spring 56, mounted between the standard and the projection 57 of the main arm, the pull of the spring being limited by the pawl 58, said pawl being mounted at 59 upon the standard 3. Also attached to the main arm, as by the stud-screw ($0, is the inking apparatus. Thisisin the form ot'a pad, the shell of which, til, 1t),contains an annular recess, the diameter and general shape conforming to that of the printing-rings. In the outer portion of the recess is formed a groove, 62, and projecting from the shell is a snpply-reservoir,63. \Vithin the said recess, and projecting slightly above its wall, I place absorbent material 64, as felt, satin, &c. On supplying the reservoir the ink will gravitate to the groove,tlow entirely around the recess, and beabsorbed by the felt, the supply being proportionaieto the evaporation or use of the Thepad is properly adjusted to the face of the printing-charactors by the screw and spring (56.

The operation is as follows: The motion of the multiple key is twofold-first, a vibration l upon the ball and socket, and, second, a vi bration upon its pivotbearitigs of the main arm and its parts. The consequences of this combined action are these: Assume that the letter M is to be printed. The depression of the key at this point will swing the character on the printing-ring inward until the ring is stopped by the point of the plunger. As this letter requires the widest space upon which to be printed, the thickness of the body of the ring at this point is correspondingly increased, which will have the effect of raising the plunger and depressing the longer end of the spacing-lever, carrying the stud downward, between the spur and the carriage-actuating i lever to the lowest point, 67. Continued I pressure on the key will now carry the main) arm andthe entire structure suspended by I it downward, and will thus cause the charaei ter on the printing-ring to be reproduced:

upon the sheet. Meantime the spur, acting upon the stud and carriage-actuating lever, forces the ratchetwvhcel forward, which in turn, comn'ninicating through the pinion ot'i the rack, gives the proper shift to the cyll .indcr just before but terminating at the instant ofinipact of the character. It will be seen that the function of the stud is simply to increase or decrease, by engaging in the prop- 7.)

er slot, as 68 69, the throw of the actuatinglever; hence the exact and proper amount of spacing required for each letter, as i, a, or m, is thereby obtained. Means for producing three degrees of spacing are shown in the drawings, as this covers the majority of let ters or characters used in printing. Instantly following the removal of manual p1 essure upon the key, the entire combination ivill be at once reset to the normal position assumed in Figs. 1 and 3the multiple key by the rider and its spring, and the main arm and its appurtenances by the main spring. The movement of the printing-ring from circumference to center, and vice versa, also effects the propg thereby produced may fairly be termed letter-press.

The multiple key or discal tablet, as shown in the present instance, Fig. 2, is-formed of a thin ring suspended by three arms. In this way the weight of the key is reduced toaminimum, and in consequence also of the openings through the shell, as 70, and the fact, furthermore, that the sheet being printed travels transversely across the instrument, as shown, the

work being done by the operator is open to view during its progress.

To place a sheet in position upon the eylinder, or to get access to it for any analogous purpose, it is simply necessary to unlatch. the

pawl 58, when the entire upper structure may 1 1 be swung back. Likewise. to reset the cylinder at the termination of a line, it is simply necessary to swing it back, as indicated by dotted lines at 71, Fig. 1, out of engagement with the pinion and slide it back to the 1'6- verse position. To determine the width of the lines, any ratchet-and-click device maybe used to limit the rotation of the cylinder during this movement. It will be observed that the multiple key is inclined toward the feeder.

This position is preferable in consequence of bringing the characters into more perfectline ot'sight, and also in being more convenient to operate. Of course any arrangement of characters may be made upon the key most 0011- ducive to rapid work, as that those characters used most frequently might be grouped upon the front, See.

I claim 1. A multiple key consisting of aplate bear- 1 o supported and capable of a vibrating movement in every direction except in the plane of the plate.

2. A multiple key consisting of a plate bearing characters and having type connected thereto, substantially as set forth, pivotally supported and capable of vibrating in every direction except in the plane of the plate, and means, substantially as described, for preventing the key from vibrating in said plane, substantiall y as described.

3. A multiple key consisting of a plate bearing characters and having type connected thereto, substantially as set forth, pivotally supported by means of a ball-and-socket j oint, in combination with means for resetting the plate to its normal position.

4. A multiple key consisting of a platebearing characters and having type connected thereto, substantially as set forth, pivotally supported by a ball-audsocket joint, in combination with a spring-actuated rider for resetting the key, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a multiple key con sisting of a plate bearing characters and having type connected thereto, substantially as set forth, pivotally supported by a ball-andsocket joint, a pin projecting from the ball, a rider for resetting the key, and a spring surrounding thepin and actuating the rider, substantially as described. 6. The combination, with a multiple key, of an arm, as 3, having an extension supporting the said key, and another extension pro vided with means, substantially as described, for limiting its rotary movement in the plane of the key, as set forth.

7. The combination.with a multiple key, of an arm, as 3, having an extension, as 6, connected to the key by a ball-andsocket joint, and an extension, as '7, provided with a slot engaging with a pin on the key, whereby the key is prevented from vibrating in its plane, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a multiple key bearing characters, as set forth, of a printing ring positively connected thereto and operated thereby, substantially as described.

9. The combination,with a multiple key, of a printingring positively connected thereto, the printing-surlace of which is formed as if out from a crown of a sphere, the center of the sphere being coincident with the working center of the ring, substantially as described.

10. The combi11ation,witl1 a multiple key, of a printing-ring connected to the key, the printing-characters on the ring being in the same meridian as the like characters on the key, substantially as described.

11. A printing'ring having printing-characters upon one of its faces and a series of radial grooves of varying depths upon the opposite face, the number of grooves corresponding to the number of printing-characters, substantially as described.

12. A printing-ring having printing-characters upon one of its faces and a series of radial grooves corresponding to the characters, in combination with means co-operating with the grooves for limiting the motion of the ring, substantially as described.

13. A printing-ring having printingcharac ters and a series of radial grooves of varying depths eorrespondingto the characters, in combination with a paper-carrier and means,

substantially as described, for operating the same so that the movement of the carrier will correspond with the varying depths of the grooves. 1

14. A. printing-ring having printing-characters and a series of radial grooves of varying depths corresponding to the characters, in combination with a papcrcarrier, a plunger operated by the printing-ring,and connections, substantially as described, between the plunand carrier, whereby the carrier is moved varying distances corresponding to the depth of the grooves, substantially as described.

15. A shell shaped substantiallylike a frustum of a cone or pyramid, having a number of printing-rings of various styles of characters attached thereto, substantially as dcscribed.

16. A shell shaped substantially like a frustum of a cone or pyramid, having a number of printing-rings of various styles of characters attached thereto, in combination with means, substantially as described, whereby the rings may be brought into operative position successively, substantially as described.

17. The combination,with a multiple key, of a frustum of a cone or pyramid having a number of wrintingrings of various styles of characters attached thereto, means for connecting the cone to the key, and ameans, as the pin 30 and slot 29, for retaining the cone in the desired relative position.

18. The combination, with a printing-ring shaped substantially. as described, of an inking apparatus consisting of an annular metallic shell containing an absorbing material, cor responding to the shape of the ring, substantially as described.

19. The combination, with a suitable support, of a spring-actuated arm pivoted to the support and carrying a multiple key, printing-ring, inking apparatus, and justiiying-lever, and a locking-pawl for limiting the up ward movement of the spring-actuated arm.

20. The combination of a pivoted arm, a multiple key pivoted to the arm, and a print ing-ring connected to the key, the arrangement being such that upon depressing the key the desired character is first brought into position and then impressed upon the papcr,'substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses: FRANK LAMBERT.

JOHN THOMSON, Gir...\m.ns G. Banrox. 

